HUD publishes income limits every year for every county or metro area in the country, for household sizes from 1 to 8 people. Housing authorities use them to decide who can be admitted to the Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) program. The figures on this site are HUD’s FY2026 Section 8 income limits.
The three limits
- Extremely low income (30%): about 30% of the area median income, or the federal poverty guideline if that is higher.
- Very low income (50%): about 50% of the area median income.
- Low income (80%): about 80% of the area median income.
HUD applies adjustments in some areas, so the published figures are not always exactly 30%, 50% or 80% of the median.
Who qualifies for a voucher
To be admitted to the voucher program, a household’s income generally must be at or below the very low income (50%) limit for its area and size; low-income households qualify only in limited situations. Each year, at least 75% of the households a housing authority admits must be extremely low income (24 CFR 982.201).
Income is only one test. The housing authority counts the income of everyone in the household and also applies its own screening rules and local preferences.
Find the limits for your area
Use the income limit calculator, or open your county page from Find by State. Source: HUD User income limits.